Trick-ball.



PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

M. T. LA PIERRE. TRICK BALL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG, 6, 1905.

sembled when one is acquainted with its con UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MEDERICK T. LA PIERRE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

v TRICK-BALL.

Application filed December 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MEDERIOK T. LA PIERRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, Westchester county, New York, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trick-Balls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to puzzle apparatus, and articularly to what may be termed a triclhball.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device which has the semblance of a ball and which will instantly fall apart unless properly held, but whichmay be readily asstruction.

The invention consists in improvements as illustrated in the accompanying single sheet of drawings.

Briefly, it comprises a series of squared pieces or sticks having notches in their edges, so that they may be assembled in the form of a ball, but which will retain their assembled relation only when properly held.

Figure 1 shows the parts assembled and in the position they will occupy if properly held. Fig. 2 shows the base-piece. Fig. 3 shows the backpiece. Fig.4shows the front piece. Fig. 5 shows the base, back, and front pieces assembled. Fig. 6 shows the left side iece. Fig. 7 shows the right side piece. ig. 8 shows the key-piece.

Each of the pieces is constructed of a squared stick or other member, preferably having its ends rounded off, so that the assembled device is spherical in form. The pieces may be formed of any material, such as wood, rubber, composition, or metal.

1 indicates the basepiece, having two notches 14 and 15.

2 indicates the rear piece, having three notches 21, 24, and 26.

3 indicates the front notches 31, 35, and 36.

4 indicates the left side piece, having two notches 43 and 46.

5 indicates the right side piece, having two notches 52 and 56.

6indicatesthekey-piece,havin nonotches. l

The front and rear ieces are alike, and the two side pieces are ah e. The reference-numerals indicating the notches indicate the pieces which fit in the various notches when piece, having three their notches 21 and 31 on the opposite sides of the base-piece 1, with their notches 24 and 35 facing in the'op osite direction to receive the side pieces 4 and 5. The latter is the pre ferred form of assembling.

When the front and rear ieces and the side pieces are fitted to the ass-piece, the key-piece 6 may be readily slipped into place in the notches 56 and 46 of the side pieces, and between the notches 26 and 36 of the rear and front ieces. The parts thus assembled will fa l apart instantly unless held securely. The simplest method of holdin is to grip the opposite ends of the base and icy pieces.

When the ball is handed to one unacquainted with it, it falls apart and the trick is to reassemble it.

The diflerent pieces may be made with different ornamentation or in difierent colors or with different shaped ends or of different cross-sectional outline, so as to make the appearance more puzzling. The pieces may be conveniently held together by an elastic band or strin for display or shippin purposes or wrap e in aper or other suita le inclosure.

at I c aim is 1. A trick-ball comprising only six pieces adapted to fit loosely to ether, so that each piece lies between the en s of two pieces and at one side of two other pieces, but to fall apart unless held by external force, two of the pieces havin three notches, three pieces havmg two notc es, and one key-piece.

2. A trick-ball comprising a base-piece having two notches, side pieces each having a central notch, an end notch at right angles to the central notch and an unnotched opposite end, front and rear pieces each having a central notch and two end notches at rlght angles thereto, and a key-piece.

MEDERICK T. LA PIERRE.

Witnesses L. S. JAMES, RoBT. S. ALLYN. 

